Get Into Zoe: The Black Doll Reminding All Of Us Of Our Magic
We've all been loving the extra love, attention, and support black culture has been getting lately. Who can be mad at more focus put on supporting racial equality, black inclusion, and black business? Some of us have been on the support train and are OGs at carrying that torch while others are just now pulling up a seat at the diversity table. Nevertheless, the ugly faces of police brutality and racism have sparked a movement where people of color are being applauded, loved on, and appreciated. Our voices, perspectives, businesses and brands are being amplified. (It's about time, don't you think?)
With the huge focus on racial injustice and black culture right now, we're all yearning for more and more black boy and girl joy, and doll-maker Yelitsa Jean-Charles, founder of Healthy Roots Dolls, has dropped more than her contribution in the bucket with Zoe, a doll she hopes will continue to inspire little girls to love themselves.
"The country is hurting and healing, and people are having really important conversations around race, representation, and what equity looks like," the 26-year-old entrepreneur told xoNecole in an exclusive interview. "As a black business owner, that means a lot of people are passing the mic and [talking about us] because they recognize how important it is to support not only black businesses but businesses that are doing the work in terms of creating moments to talk about identity and changing the narrative for the future."
Courtesy of Yelitsa Jean-Charles
It's been proven that our early interaction with dolls can have major effects on our self-perception, self-esteem, as well as our communications and socializing skills, and though we've come a long way in terms of brown dolls in rotation, there's always room for improvement in representing today's diversity. Jean-Charles had her own experience as a little girl who wanted dolls that looked more like her. She had to the opportunity to find a creative outlet in college for a project where she reimagined the popular folklore character Rapunzel as a brown girl with kinky curly hair.
"My classmates said, 'This looks so much like a doll.' I took the idea to Facebook and realized a lot of people have these experiences where we didn't have dolls that looked like us growing up," Jean-Charles recalled. "True, they had brown skin, but you have to do so much more than paint [a doll] brown to connect with children. Creating a doll with hair that children could wash and style to learn how to love themselves was the next step for us so we created Zoe."
Courtesy of Yelitsa Jean-Charles
"I had that conversation on social, realized there was a problem, and the next natural step was to do some research to find the solution. I applied for the Brown University Social Innovation Fellowship. I presented the problem and [expressed that] my doll was the solution to the fact that kids don't have products that represent them. They gave me $4,000 to work on the company that summer, which was enough capital to support ourselves---the small team we had---in addition to doing some guerilla marketing to find out whether there was a need for this product. Can we get people to buy it?"
Jean-Charles would then be accepted into an accelerator program where she and her team developed a Kickstarter campaign and attracted $50,000 in pre-sales for the first version of Zoe. They've since relaunched the doll, partnered with My Black Is Beautiful for a product line that children can use on both their hair and Zoe's, and the demand has grown even more from there.
As campaigns were sparked online to promote black-owned brands and businesses, Jean-Charles found herself right in the middle of it with a recent tweet about Zoe that went viral. It was retweeted more than 135,000 times and got more than 1 million likes.
"We've been building an audience for the past five years, so Healthy Roots Dolls isn't an overnight success, but now if you didn't know us, now you know!" she said with a laugh. "We had already sold out the week before the tweet went viral, and I had just worked with the team to transition the website for pre-orders. I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it or not, but I'm so glad I did not close the website before the tweet went up. Our Instagram following doubled, my own personal Instagram following tripled, the company's following tripled as well, and now we have thousands of new [supporters]."
Jean-Charles said she and her team have been discussing strategy for keeping up with the high demand, preparing for the upcoming winter holiday season, and remaining close to her customers---old and new.
"I think this was ideal timing so that we could properly prepare for the demand we can expect based on the popularity of our product. It's a great way for us to measure the impact and measure demand and show people, 'Hey, this is not just niche.' Our dolls are for children who love dolls. It's all about giving children options, and by doing that you're helping unpack the issues that we have in our culture and in our society about race and identity by exposing them the people they will interact with in the world. Healthy Roots is in a position, ideally, [to offer] products that can do that. That makes me happy because I know the long-term impact we will have in making sure that everyone is treated equally and fairly and everyone is loved."
For more of Yelitsa, follow her on Instagram.
Featured image courtesy of Yelitsa Jean-Charles
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Caribbean culture has always been all around me, from the food to the dancehall and soca music to traditions carried out by all of the Caribbean people living in the city. As a youngin, I loved attending the West Indian Day Parade every September because the floats, steel drums, extravagant feathers, and upbeat music made me feel free and gave me a deeper appreciation for the culture.
As I got older, I learned that the yearly Carnivals happening across the Caribbean put NYC’s little festivities to shame. Traveling to the islands themselves and experiencing the people and culture first-hand really gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation for Caribbean culture.
The history of Carnival celebrations in the Caribbean can be traced back to enslaved people who were forbidden from participating in the Pre-Lenten celebrations and thus created their own celebrations and traditions, which over time developed into celebrations of freedom and rebellion. Each country in the Caribbean has its own unique history of celebrations, as well as its own Carnival traditions that set it apart from other festivities.
What started as a Pre-Lenten celebration is now celebrated during a range of months throughout the year and now attracts hundreds of people from all over the world. Here are six carnivals that you should go to this year to experience this culture for yourself.
Crop Over - Barbados Carnival
Crop Over Dates: July 31, 2024 - August 6, 2024
What better place to celebrate carnival than the home of our Bajan Queen Rihanna? While some festivities start as early as May, the official festival season in Barbados starts in July and ends in early August. Crop Over originally started as a way for plantation workers to celebrate the end of the sugarcane harvest season and has now evolved into a much larger celebration. Crop Over is a blend of both old and new traditions, such as the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes, and Cohobblopot, where bands show off their beautiful costumes and play soca and calypso music.
All of the week's festivities culminate with the Grand Kadooment, Crop Over’s big parade featuring all of the bands and droves of people taking to the streets in their beautiful costumes and dancing to the local music.
Other things to do: Visit Hunte’s Garden in Joseph’s Parish and find peace in the picturesque garden while spotting an array of different birds and animals. If you’re looking for beach relaxation, spend a day at Carlisle Bay, the perfect beach for swimming, taking in some sun, and a possible turtle sighting.
Saint Thomas Carnival
Saint Thomas Carnival Dates: April 28, 2024 - May 5, 2024
No passport? That won’t be a problem for U.S. travelers looking to get in on the carnival experience. Saint Thomas, one of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, is known for its crystal clear beaches, scuba diving scene, and overall vibrant culture. The island celebrates its carnival in late April and features a dynamic lineup of events including colorful adult and kiddie parades, calypso competitions, and street parties. Virgin Islanders are known to love to party, so make sure to fill up before the festivities with some local favorites like johnny cakes, callaloo, and conch fritters.
With its rich cultural heritage and lively atmosphere, this is a carnival experience perfect for a first-timer who wants to ease their way into the lifestyle.
Other things to do: Visit one of Saint Thomas’ many turquoise blue beaches such as Coki, Magens Bay, Brewers Bay, or Lindquist Beach. Coki Beach is perfect if you're looking for a more lively experience and want to snorkel without swimming far out, and Brewers Bay is best known for the sea turtles that you can see from the sand. You can also take a short ferry over to Saint John, another of the Virgin Islands, and spend a day at Lime Out, a floating taco and margarita bar.
Spicemas - Grenada Carnival
Courtesy of Grenada Tourism Authority
Spicemas Dates: August 7, 2024 - August 14, 2024
Grenada, also known as the Spice Isle due to its production of a variety of spices, has one of the most anticipated carnivals every year. During Spicemas, revelers hit the streets for lively music, paint, oil, dancing, and good times. One of the most important aspects of Spicemas is Jab Jab, a celebration that involves covering one's body in black oil or paint. This tradition started as a post-emancipation masquerade, in which former enslaved Africans would paint themselves black emulating a “Jab” derived from the French word diable, which means devil.
This was a way of mocking their former masters and also represented rebellion and freedom. Since then, the tradition has evolved into a staple of Carnival on J’ouvert morning, a celebration of freedom, and undoubtedly an element that makes Grenada stand out from other Carnivals across the diaspora. Outside of J’ouvert, Spicemas is a beautiful culmination of colorful and vibrant costumes, steel band competitions, delicious rum, and music that you’ll dance to all night.
Grenada is celebrating 50 years of independence this year, so just know that Spicemas is going to be extra special!
Other things to do: For the ocean lovers, the Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park is a must-see attraction. It is the world's first underwater sculpture park and a popular excursion for folks visiting the island. This year, five new installations are being added to the park, which can all be viewed through snorkeling, diving, or a glass bottom boat ride.
Antigua Carnival
Antigua Carnival Dates: July 31, 2024 - August 7, 2024
Every August, carnival lovers flock to the beautiful island of Antigua for its annual carnival festival. First celebrated in 1957, Antigua’s Carnival started as a celebration of emancipation from slavery and has since expanded into a dynamic showcase of local talent, music, and cultural pride. Some events to look forward to are the Party Monarch and Calypso Monarch competitions, as well as the Caribbean Queen’s Competition.
Antigua Carnival is an almost two-week extravaganza that leads into J’ouvert on Carnival Monday and the main parade on Carnival Tuesday. If you love good music, vibrant costumes, and delicious food, this is the carnival for you.
Other things to do: Take a trip to Shirley Heights Lookout for live music and breathtaking panoramic views of the coastline and ocean. And with 365 beaches in total, you’d be missing out if you didn’t fit in a few on your itinerary.
Bermuda Carnival
Bermuda Carnival Dates: June 12, 2024 - June 17, 2024
Also known as Heroes Weekend, Bermuda Carnival may be smaller than some of the other carnivals, but is still a great time. Bermuda is one of the newer carnivals, originating in 2015. Celebrated in June, this long weekend of festivities draws inspiration from other popular carnivals while also highlighting elements of Bermudian culture. You can expect some similar elements as other countries such as daily fetes, soca music, and a parade filled with different bands and extravagant costumes.
They also celebrate Bermuda’s National Heroes during carnival with a national feast. Bermudians have immense pride in their country and culture, and their carnival is the biggest celebration of the year that you don’t want to miss.
Other things to do: Take a day trip to Crystal and Fantasy Caves, beautiful caves formed over millions of years that you can take tours of. Spend a few hours taking in these beautiful natural wonders and seeing some of the formations and underground pools.
Saint Lucia Carnival
Saint Lucia Carnival Dates: July 10, 2024 - July 17, 2024
Home to some of the most beautiful mountains and beaches in the Caribbean, Saint Lucia has the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable carnival experience. Saint Lucia Carnival didn’t take flight until the late 1940s but has grown into a favorite for both novice and seasoned masqueraders. Formerly held in February, this carnival now kicks off in July which allows it not to compete with the highly revered Trinidadian carnival that also happens at that time. Saint Lucia’s Carnival has grown in popularity over the years because of the lively music, delicious food, and turned-up fetes.
One of the highlights is the Parade of the Bands, where masqueraders adorned in elaborate costumes dance through the streets to the rhythms of soca, calypso, and steelpan music. The best way to prepare for the Saint Lucia Carnival is to stay hydrated and well-fed so that you can thoroughly enjoy the plethora of events and parties happening from early morning to nightfall.
Other things to do:The Pitons, Gros Piton and Petit Piton are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the main attractions in Saint Lucia. Take a hike of Gros Piton or just marvel at its natural beauty. If you're there on a Friday night, stop by the weekly Gros Islet Street Party, which is filled with music, drinks, and local food.
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Featured image courtesy of Grenada Tourism Authority